Light-ray baffle construction



c. U. DEATQN LIGHT-RAY BAFFLE CONSTRUCTION Jan. 27, l1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 25, 1953 IN V EN TOR.

CHARLES U. DEAToN BY Jan. 27, 1959 Filed May 25, 1955 C. U. DEATON LIGHT-RAY BAFFLE CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENToR. CHARLES U. DEA-ron BY 2,870,883 LIGHT-RAY BAFFLE CONSTRUCTION lCharles U. Deaton, Crestwood, Mo. Application May z5, 195s, serial N. 357,157 iz. Claims. (ci. isti- 82) This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in light-ray baffle construction and,

more particularly, to certain unique grid-like devices or .so-called louvers adapted for efficiently transmitting light while at the same time effectively masking the lightsource from View.

Light-ray battles or so-called louvers are, at the present time, principally used in conjunction with uorescent lighting as a grid disposed across the bottom of Con- It is, therefore, the primar; object of the present invention to provide a light-ray battle which canbe quickly and conveniently cleaned. p

It is another object of the present invention to provide `a unique type of light-ray bale or louver which is simple `and economical in cost and highly attractive in appearance.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a light-ray ybattle or louver which canbe readily disassembled, reassembled, mounted, `and demounted with a minimum of time and effort.

With the above and other objects in View, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and `combination of parts presently described and pointed `ont in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings (three sheets)- Figure `1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a lightray bae or louver constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

Figures 2 and 3 are fragmentary perspective views,

respectively, of the bottom and top frame-elements forming apart of the present invention; p Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of a light- `ray baffle or louver constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention; t

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 5,-5 of Figure 4; and

`Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along 4line 6 6 of Figure 5.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters .to the drawings,` which illustrate ja preferred embodiment of the present invention, A designates a light- United States Patent-O ray ibafe or louver comprising a plurality of sets of dep tachably superposed rectilinear frames, namely, a bottom frame 1 and a top frame 2. The bottom frames 1 are each formed preferably of round wire-stock in the form of a closed `rectangle having parallel end-members 3 which are integrally `joined at the corners of the frame 1 to parallel side-members 4 by corner-forming portions `5 which curve upwardly. Thus the side-members 4 are,

inetfect, `spaced upwardly from the .members 3,` so that theunder surface of the members 4 and the upper sur- `face of the members 3 are tangent to the same plane,

as can be seen in Figures 5 and 6.,

Welded, soldered, or otherwise rigidly attached at their opposite ends to, and extending longitudinally between, the end-members 3 are equidistantly spaced parallel bars 6 of relatively thin rectangular cross-sectional shape. As will be seen by reference to Figure 2, the bars.6 are set up edgewise, so to speak, with their narrow under faces in tangental contact with the upwardly presented surfaces of the end-members 3. Similarly jointed to the `bars 6 and extending transversely therebetween are staggered short bar-sections 7, the outer rows of which are attached tangentially to the under faces of the side-members 4. As will be seen by reference to Figure `2, alternate bar-sections 7 in each transverse line are endwise aligned and the lengthwise distance between such lines is substantially equivalent to the length of the bar-members 7, that is to say,V the transverse-distance between the bars 6.

, The top frames 2 are substantially similar to the bottom frames l-and are each formed preferably of round wire-stock in the form `of a closed rectangle having parallel end-members 8 which are integrally joined `at the corners of the frame 2 to parallel side-members 9 by corner-forming portions 1t) which cuwe upwardly. Thus the side members 9 are, in effect, spaced upwardly from larly joined to the bars 6 and extending longitudinally therebetween are bar-sections 12 of the same shape and arrangement as the bar-sections 7 of the bottom frame 1. As will be seen hy reference to Figure 4, when a bottom `frame 1 and top frame 2 are superposed in nested `or operative position, the bars 6 and bars 11`will be at rightfangles to each .other and, similarly, the bar-sections 7 and bar-sections 12 will the at right angles to each other. Consequently, the bars 6, 11, in effect, divide the area enclosed lhy the frames 1, 2, into a series of squares, each of which is bisected by one of the barsections 7 or 12 in such a manner that the bisectors of any two contiguous squaresare mutually perpendicular and the `bisectors of cornerwise` adjacent or diagonal squares are parallel.`

Provided for co-operation with the frames 1, 2, is a plurality of bafes B formed of thin metallic sheet material, such as aluminum or a synthetic plastomer such as a polymerized polyvinyl sheet. The surfaces of the aluminum sheets can be anodized to produce a soft 4dif- `fused reliection of light or can be colored toproduce a variety of decorative effects. Similarly, plastic sheets `of opaque or translucent character and` of a variety of colors may readily be employed.` Each baffle B is rectilinear in shape having parallel, normally' vertical edges 13, 14, anda normally horizontal bottom edge 15 preferably joined tothe edges 13, 14, by rounded corners 16. The other or upper margin 17 of each baffle B is provided with somewhat round-cornered shoulders 18, 19, and three resilient tabs 2t), 21, 22. The outer two tabs 20, 22, are bent slightly outwardly in one direction at an oblique angle to the main body of the baie B, and the intermedi-ate tab 21 is bent equally in the opposite direction. Similarly, the tabs 20, `22, are integrally provided at their upper ends with inwardly turned narrowanges 23, Z3, respectively, and the tab 21 is provided with an oppositely turned flange 25. Thus the tabs 20, 22, can be sprung,` slightly away from the tab 21 and the `flanges 23, 24,y l25, snapped over one of the bar-sections 7 or 11, as shown in Figure l, so as to be reelasably and swingably mounted thereon. It will furthermore be noted, by reference to Figures l, 5, and 6, that some of the bafiles B, which are intended to lie along the peripheral areas of the frames 1, 2, have shoulders 18 which are somewhat deeper than the shoulders 1S, thereby providing clearance for the frame members 3, 4, 8, 9, as the case may be.

Each bottom frame 1 is suspended from the ceiling or light fixture (not shown) by some suitable attachment device, such as the hooks 26, and the top frames 2 are supported in superposed relation by the bottom frames 1. Thus, when it is necessary to clean the louvers A, the frames can be quickly lifted up and disengaged from the hooks 26 or other supporting structure and individually dusted or washed. For this latter operation, the battles B may all be shingled into a substantially continuous flat surface lying in the plane of the frame by a sharp flipping motion to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 5. After cleaning has been completed, a flipping movement in the opposite direction will restore the bafes B to operative or lightbaffling position.

It is understood that the same arrangement of tabs can be used in a more or less vertical plane or as a light baille in front of a vertical window, the tabs being held in place either rigidly or free to ber snapped out of position in a manner similar to the ceiling use.

The baffle effect can be used on the interior as a window screen or ycan be used on the exterior of a building to prevent an excessive amount of sunlight from hitting a building from certain angles. For instance, it may be desirable that the low sun of the morning and the low sun of the late afternoon be prevented from entering the building. A system of louvers, therefore, arranged in this pattern could be directed south, in the case of the northern hemisphere, thereby obscuring the sun at the desired times and permitting .it to enter at the other times.

The louver system can also be used as a grill for the passage of air, being used to direct the air in a particular direction, or its primary purpose may be to obscure the vision of the source of the air. In the case of grills used for air-conditioning, the purpose is two-fold--that of directing the yair in a particular direction and also as a visual block against seeing the interior of the air duct which is not always tidy.

This grill and pattern of grill can also be used as a radiator grill or cover for automobiles for the same two purposes of directing the air in a particular direction and also obscuring from view the automobile radiator or inner parts.

lIt should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the light-ray baffle construction may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A light-ray baffle comprising a pair of separable complementary frames, each frame having a plurality of uniformly spaced parallel bars and a plurality of short bar sections mounted at their ends in and extending lengthwise between adjacent bars, thereby defining an open grid-work. of staggered contiguous rectangles, said frames being in nested overlying marginal registration one upon the other so that the bars of one frame extend at right angles to the bars of the other frame, and a rectangular panel mounted on each of the shortl bar sections and extending outwardly therefrom with the panels of one frame extending between and at right angles to the panels of the other frame.

2. A light-ray battle comprising a pair of identically shaped separable complementary frames, each frame having a plurality of uniformly spaced parallel bars and a plurality of short bar sections mounted at their ends in and extending lengthwise between adjacent bars, thereby defining an open grid-work of staggered contiguous rectangles having a length approximately equal to twice the width, said frames being in nested overlying marginal registration one upon the other so that the bars of one frame extend at right angles to the bars of the other frame and rectangles forming the grid-work of the respective frames overlie each other in cross=wise relation whereby the two frames` in association with each other form an open grid-work of contiguous squares, and a rectangular panel mounted on each of the short bar sections extending outwardly therefrom withy the panel of one frame extending between and at right angles to the panel of the other fra-me. I

3. A light-ray baffle comprising a pair of separable complementary frames, each frame having a plurality lof uniformly spaced parallel bars and a plurality of short bar sections mounted at their ends in and'extending lengthwise between adjacent bars, thereby defining an open grid-work of staggered contiguous rectangles, said frames being in nested overlying marginal registration one upon the other so that the bars of one frame extend at right angles to the bars yof the other frame, and a rectangular panel mounted on each of the short bar sections and extending outwardly therefrom with the panels of one frame extending between and at right angles to thevpa'nels of the other frame, the lateral edges olf each panel being spaced away from the faces of adjacent panels by approximately half 'the width of a panel.

4. A light-ray baffle adapted to be supported in space relation to a light source, said baffle comprising an open framework formed of relatively thin members, presenting substantially small interference to the passage of light rays through the framework, a plurality of first substantially flat, individual baille elements mounted at one end upon the' framework and projecting outwardly therefrom in spaced parallel relation, and a plurality of second substantially flat, individual bale elements, also mounted at one end from the framework in outwardly spaced parallel relation to each other, each of said second baille elements being positioned approximately midway between two adjacent first baffle elements in edgewise presented angular relation thereto and with its edges disposed i'n spaced,vcontiguous relation to the adjacent faces of said first baffle elements, each of said first baffle elements being positioned approximately midway between two adjacent second baffle elements in edgewise presented angular relation thereto and with its edges disposed in spaced contiguous relation to the adjacent faces of the second ble elements.

5. A light-ray baffle adapted to be supported in space relation to a light source, said baflle comprising an open framework formed of relatively thin members, presenting substantially small interference to the passage of light rays through the framework, a plurality of first, substantially flat, rectangular, individual baffle elements mounted at one end upon the framework and projecting outwardly therefrom in spaced parallel relation, and a plurality of second substantially flat, rectangular, individual baffle elements', also mounted at one end from the framework in outwardly spaced parallel relation to each other, each of said second baffle elements being positioned approximately midway between two adjacent first baffle elements in edgewise presented angular relation thereto and with its edges disposed in spaced, contiguous relation to the adjacent faces of said first baffle elements, each of said first baffle elements being positioned approximately midway between two adjacent second baffle elements in edgewise presented angular relation thereto and with its edges disposed in spared contiguous relation to the adjaeen faces Vot the second baffle elements.

Asubstantially small interference to the passage of light rays through the framework, a plurality of first, substantially ilat individual baille elements mounted at one end upon the framework and projecting outwardly therefrom in spaced parallel relation, and a plurality of second substantially ilat, individual baille elements, also mounted at one end from the framework in outwardly spaced parallel relation to each other, each of said seco-nd baille elements being positioned approximately midway between two adjacent ilrst baille elements in edgewise presented perpen- 'dicular relation thereto and with its edges disposed in spaced, contiguous relation to the adjacent faces of said first baflleelements, each of said first baille elements 4being positioned approximately midway between two adjacent second baille elements in edgewise presented angular re lation thereto and with its edges disposed in spaced contiguous relation to the adjacent faces of the second baille elements.

7. A light-ray baille adapted to be supported in space relation t-o a light source, said baille comprising an open framework formed of relatively thin members, presenting substantially small interference to the passage of light rays through theframework, a plurality of first substantially ilat, individual baille elements mounted at one end upon the framework and projecting outwardly therefrom in spaced parallel relation, and a plurality of second substantially flat, individual baille elements, also mounted at one end from the framework in outwardly spaced parallel relation to each other, each of said second baille elements being positioned approximately midway between two adjacent first baille elements in edgewise presented angular relation thereto and with its edges disposed in spaced, contiguous relation to the adjacent faces ofsaid ilrst baille elements, each of said first baille elements being positioned approximately midway between two adjacent second baille elements in edgewise presented angular relation thereto Vand with its edges disposed in spaced contiguous relation to the adjacent faces of the second baille elements, said first and second baille elements being identical in shape.

8. A light-ray baille adapted to be supported in space l relation to a light source, said baille comprising an open .framework formed of relatively thin members, presenting substantially small interference to the passage of light rays through the framework, a plurality of first substantially ilat, individual baffle elements mounted at one end upon the framework and projecting outwardly therefrom in spaced parallel relation, and a plurality of second substantially flat, individual baille elements, also mounted at one end from the framework in outwardly spaced parallel relation to each other, each of said second baille elements being positioned approximately midway between two adjacent first baille elements in edgewise presented angular relation thereto and with its edges disposed in spaced, contiguous relation to the adjacent faces of said first baille elements, each of said ilrst baille elements being positioned approximately midway between two adjacent second baille elements in edgewise presented angular re lation thereto and with its edges'disposed in spaced contiguous relation to the adjacent facesv of the second baille elements, said first and second baille elements being identical in shape, said baille elements furthermore all being substantially perpendicular to the framework.

upon the framework and projecting outwardly therefrom' in spaced parallel relation, and a plurality of second substantially flat, individual baille elements, also mounted at one end from the framework in outwardly spaced parallel relation to each other, eac-h of said second baille `elements being positioned approximately midway between two adjacent ilrstjbaille elements in edgewise presented angular relation thereto and with its edges disposed in spaced, contiguous relation to the` adjacent faces of said ilrst baille elements, each of said first baille elements similarly being disposed in edgewise presented angular relation between two adjacent second baille elements, and

said ilrst and second baille elements furthermore being l j arranged in relation to each other so that each group consisting of two adjacent ilrst baille elements and one intermediate second baille element is staggered with respect to each adjacent group consisting of two second baille elements and one intermediate first baille element.

10. A light ray-baille comprising a frame having an open lgrid-work formed by a plurality of uniformly spaced parallel long bars, a` pluralityjof individual short barsections endwise secured between adjacent long bars and forming a plurality of parallel lines ofshort bar-sections, the bar-sections in each line being endwise spaced by a distance substantially equal to the distance between said parallel long bars and the bar-sectons in one line being staggered in4 relation to the bar-sections in the next adjacent line, and a plurality of thin panels of substantially identical shape, each panel being mounted upon one of said short bar-sections.

11. A light ray-baille comprising a frame having an open `grid-work formed by a plurality of uniformly spaced parallel long bars, a plurality of individual short barsections endwise secured between adjacent long bars at right angles thereto and forming a plurality of parallel lines of short bar-sections, the bar-sections in each line being endwise spaced by a distance substantially equal to the distance between said parallel long bars and the bar-sections in one line being staggered in relation to the bar-sections in the next adjacent line, and a plurality of thin panels of substantially identical shape, each panel being mounted on one of said bar-sections for swi`nging movement about an -axis defined by said bar-sections, whereby the panels may be shingled into a substantially continuous flat surface lying inthe plane of said frame.

12. A light ray-baille comprising `a frame having an open grid-work formed by a plurality of long bars deilning a series of adjacent spaces, a plurality of individual short bar sections endwise secured between adjacent long `bars aud extending transversely across the spaces dened by the long bars, the bar-sections of one space being staggered in relation to the bar-sections of the next adjacent space, a plurality of panels of substantially identical shape, a pair of spaced resilient tabs extending outwardly in one direction `from one end of and atan oblique angle to each panel, and an additional resilient tab intermediate said pair of tabs, said additional tab extending 9. A light-ray baille adapted to be supported in space relation to a light source, said baille comprising an open framework formed of relatively thin members, presenting substantially small interference to the passage of light rays through the framework, a plurality of rst substantially at, individual baille elements mounted at one end outwardly from said end at an oblique angle and in a direction opposite to said pair of tabs, whereby each pair of tabs and additional tab swingably and releasably secure each panel to one of the bar-sections.

References Cited in `the file'of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,160,638 Bedell May 30, 1939 2,527,031 Rambusch Oct. 24, 1950 2,704,865 Siering Mar. 29, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,016,986 France Sept. 10, 1952 

